SheltaFirebird V2

I have two of these - a tan one and a grey one. Why do I have two? Well, the first one became completely impregnated with dirt and grime from so much use hiking. The dirt wouldn't come out with hand washing, so I bought a second hat. I then put the first hat in our front-loading washing machine on the gentle cycle and I couldn't believe what came out - the hat looked brand new. No limpness in the bill, no ragged fabric, no dirt, no stains, just a pristine hat. Now I have two great hats.Here's what else I love about the hat - the bill curves up to give you good visibility, while at the same time being long enough to give good sun protection on your face and nose. I do a lot of photography and birdwatching, and the bill is perfect. The sides of the hat are stiff and extend out, giving good sun protection on your ears, while not blocking sound. I can hear other people and birds much better with this hat than hats with draping ear flaps. The hat is comfortable, with an effective adjustment for tightness. I have a bald spot on top of my head, and many hats with claims of high UPF still let enough UV through to burn my head. I no longer trust the UPF rating of any hat. The V2 completely protects my bald spot, even on a full cloud-free day in July at 10,000 feet in Colorado. I really have nothing negative to say about the hat, but if I find a flaw, I'll update this review.

I plan to use this in small surf on my longboard to complement my long sleeved rash guard.

This is an all day comfortable hat. Great sun protection. Stays put when the wind hits hard. I have 2 of these hats and love them both

I needed this for boating and the snug fit holds solid at 35mph.

Love this hat because it doesn’t flop which is key when running a boat. Very comfortable and stays cool.

This is a top quality hat that also looks good due to its unique shape and quality materials.I was torn between Seahawk and Firebird. I decided to purchase the Firebird because I wanted maximum sun protection for my prolonged days of backpacking. I think I made the right choice. The brims are not too large at all and are of perfect size.The hat, when worn properly, does handle the wind very well. But it isn't perfect and it can definitely fly off your head in a heavy wind. To me, the hat's main advantage is its ability to not flap much in a wind which gives you sun protection in a windy situation.As far as sizing, when in doubt, order one size larger. The size is somewhat adjustable and it is far better to have a larger hat that you can shrink in size. I ordered large/xlarge and it fit me perfectly (I do have a large head).I can highly recommend this hat for hiking/backpacking in heavy sun and windy weather.

The hat is great. Fits nice and has alot of protection from the sun.

I like this hat, I like the design and it seems to be well made. I didn't test the hat "in the field" yet, I'll be replacing it because the size is to small - if you are "between sizes"- i suggest buying the larger one.I don't like that they fold in half a very expensive 75$ hat for the shipping and brake the brim. For such an expensive hat I would expect a much better shipping solution. That is why I gave it 4 stars raiting.